2018 State Finals Results

Line Mountain Scholarship Winners

Leah Eberts of Moon Area High School, attending Kent State University

Katie Harr of North Penn High School, attending Drexel University

OMER’s Award Winners

Animal House, Div III DELAWARE VALLEY H S #3887
This team showed incredible use of materials in constructing its waterfall and cavern combination scenery. The team included colored sugar glass geodes that glowed, a flowing waterfall that changed color, and a tea-scented totem pole from pages of books. The team created three awesome scenes with water and a photo collage backdrop.

Problem 1 judge – Dave Rauth
This individual has been involved in Odyssey of the Mind for as long as most vehicle judges can remember. His knowledge of our problem is legendary for all of us. He has said he is retiring – we truly hope he’s kidding. But he is a most worthy OMER award winner, with our respect and love, from the state of Pennsylvania vehicle judges!

Ranatra Fusca Award Winners

Triathlon Travels, Div IISOUTHERN LEHIGH MID SCH #30655
This team combined ingenious commercial products, such as an electric wheelchair, with recycled materials, such as sewer pipe, to create a Leonardo Da Vinci-themed vehicle that was not only elaborate, but also functionally stable. The uni-wheel design carried risks in both balance and speed regulation. The team demonstrated remarkable vision in everything they did – from the rotating aerial screw to a hydraulic sweeping system to the notebook written in backwards Italian. This honored Odyssey as a pursuit the great Da Vinci would be proud of.

Triathlon Travels, Div III
MASTERMAN SCH A #27564
This team showed exceptional creativity in two ways – first, in the design of their vehicle propulsion system. The team adopted mechanical principles of a rowing machine by using bicycle chains, sprockets, bungee cords, and one-way ratchet wrenches to propel the vehicle forward and in reverse. Separate propulsion systems were used for each direction. By pulling on the chain, they converted linear motion into rotation of the wheels to drive the vehicle.

Second, the team was required to use a lance to knock over five green targets without affecting adjacent white targets. The solution was totally unexpected when they used a magnetic field to repel green targets thus knocking them over.

Emoji, Speak for Yourself, Div III
SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL ACAD #44960The team innovated a unique, multi-part circuit through the use of slime, that when completed, produced a pitch first, which then produced a letter. Pitches and letters could be produced in any order by any person. This knocked the judges’ socks off – they are still unfound at this point – through exceptional craftsmanship of a multi-part circuit produced through the water conductivity in slime and humans. The team’s solution was very cool, and definitely tied in with their under the sea theme.

Mockumentary! Seriously? Div II
MELLON MID SCH #34934The team showed exceptional creativity in its design and execution of a life-sized music box shaped like a carousel. The carousel had knobs on the outside face that actuated hammers, striking metal tubes to produce sound. The tubes were cut and hand-filed to different lengths to produce different pitches. These sounds each represented letters to spell words. The team then swapped the carousel portion in real time to change the key from major to minor.